Chennai Travel Guide – The Essential Tool for a Fantastic Trip

Among India’s major cities, Chennai is the fourth biggest. With a population of almost ten million, it lies on the Bay of Bengal in the northeastern part of Tamil Nadu. It is the main transportation centre for the south and a popular tourist site within the city itself. It is hot, crowded, and chaotic. The city offers a wide range of attractions. Gorgeous examples of Raj architecture, pilgrimage places associated with the apostle Doubting Thomas, magnificent Chola bronzes housed in its state museum, and an abundance of classical music and dance events are just a few of its many attractions. Make your journey Affordable! Book cheap flights from Toronto to Chennai now to explore forts, beaches, and more and save money with our special offerings.

The top travel recommendations for visiting Chennai

Geographically, Chennai falls into three primary regions. North of the River Cooum is Fort St George, the first British stronghold in India, and George Town, a commercial centre that flourished under the British occupation. Parry’s Corner, at the southernmost point of Rajaji Salai, is the prime landmark in George Town. The primary highway of the city, Anna Salai, crosses central Chennai and serves the contemporary commercial hub of the metropolis, which positions between the Cooum and Adyar rivers.

The charming ancient Muslim neighbourhood of Triplicane lies to the east of Anna Salai, while further on is the long, straight Marina with its expansive beach, fishing boats, and crowds of local visitors wearing saris and pantsuits who are having a great time practising paddle boarding. The Portuguese settled the Mylapore area, which continues southward along the coast, in the 1500s, and it hosts two major tourist destinations, San Thomé Cathedral and Kapalishvara Temple.

Best Things to See/Do in Chennai

From Chennai’s extensive city beaches to the Cholamandal Artists’ Village, here are some of the best activities to do in Chennai.

Admire Fort St. George

This Indian fort is different from all others. The fortress appears more like a collection of elegant colonial residences, standing next to state offices with its back to the sea. Currently housing many offices, these structures are bustling with activity during the week. The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and the Secretariat currently reside there. The fort served as both Madras Town’s original building and the British Empire’s first landholding in India. Although work started in 1640, the majority of the original structures had to be rebuilt during the same era after suffering damage from French sieges. The most impressive building is the eighteenth-century colonial Fort House, coloured slate grey and white. Admire the beauty of this place by paying a visit, but first of all, book your air tickets from Canada to India with Airfarebooking.ca.

Explore Fort Museum

The museum’s collection correctly records the significant moments of the British control of Madras, with portraits, military flags, firearms, East India Company coins, medals, stamps, and thick woollen outfits that make you wonder how the Raj lasted so long. Currently serving as an art gallery, the first floor features pictures of prominent officials and their spouses alongside stunning drawings of the British arriving in Chennai dressed in opulent couture, along with Indians dressed in pants. Exhibited beside are engravings created by renowned artist Thomas Daniell, whose creations significantly shaped British perspectives on India towards the close of the 18th century.

Look for St Mary’s Church

The oldest Anglican church still standing in Asia, St. Mary’s, was constructed in 1678 and had some renovations following the battle of 1759. It is located south of the Fort Museums and past the State Legislature. It has a particular English design, with inscriptions and monuments honouring British troops, politicians, and spouses. “Elihu Yale, former governor of Fort St George (1687-96) and founder of Yale University, donated the massive pure silver plaque. The front porch exhibits pictures of dignitaries, including Queen Elizabeth II.

Take a walk around George Town

George Town, once a British trading centre, remains a hub for banks, offices, shipping firms, and street vendors.The maze-like lanes of George Town showcase a diverse mix of architecture. Furthermore, from eighteenth and nineteenth-century churches to Hindu and Jain temples, a few mosques, and stately houses. The General Post Office occupies a sturdy, earth-red Indo-Saracenic building from 1884 on Rajaji Salai in the east. On the southern boundary of George Town, the High Court’s bulbous white domes, sandstone towers, and the ornately decorated Law College towers, both showing substantial Islamic influence, stand out.

Find peace at the Kapaleeswarar Temple

The Kapaleeswarar Temple, a massive structure, stands just under one kilometre west of the San Thomé Cathedral on RK Mutt Road. Tamil poet-saints from the seventh century praised its virtues, but the current Shiva-focused edifice most likely emerged in the sixteenth century. The massive gopura that towers over the main east entrance and is decorated with stucco motifs built in 1906. The outside area has an ancient tree with a modest shrine to Shiva’s wife, Parvati, depicting her as a peahen (mayil) adoring the lingam. The shrines are surrounded by a variety of buzzing shrines wherein priests give blessings to both Hindus and non-Hindus.

Reaching Chennai by Plane

Chennai Airport, located at Tirusulam, 16 km southwest of the city core on NH-45, serves both international and domestic flights. If you want a relaxing and stress-free trip, you can book a Toronto to chennai flight ticket with AirfareBooking.ca The new international and domestic terminals are a short walk apart, on opposite sides of the existing terminal. The air side has far superior facilities than the ground side at both.

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